Prime Minister inaugurated 450 km natural gas pipeline
Inaugurating the 450-km natural gas pipeline between Kerela and Karnataka, PM Modi stated that the government has an integrated approach to energy planning in the country…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 450-km natural gas pipeline between Kochi in Kerala to Mangalore in Karnataka on the 5th of January 2021.
This 12 MMSCMD natural gas pipeline with a total length of 450 km and costing INR 3000 crores, is to be used to transport natural gas from Kochi in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka, via Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasargod.
The pipeline will help in providing environmentally sustainable and economical fuel in form of piped natural gas (PNG) to homes and industrial units, and compressed natural gas (CNG) through various city gas distribution (CGD) areas across different geographical areas in a convenient and uninterrupted way.
Speaking on the occasion Modi said that under his government the country is seeing exceptional work on highways railways, metros, water, digital, and gas connectivity to aid the economic development in the country.
Government’s Energy Roadmap for India
Talking about the energy roadmap, Modi pointed out that the share of Natural Gas in India’s energy basket will be more than doubled.
He added that the government aims for connecting India with one gas pipeline grid, so as to help people and industries to get access to affordable fuel. As natural gas is cleaner and can be transported through pipelines, it will help cut on the vehicle movements needed for other fuels.
He emphasized that currently, around 58% of all energy consumed in the country comes from coal. On the other hand, petroleum and other liquid fuels contribute around 26% to the energy basket. Whereas, the share of natural gas and renewables contribution is just 6% and 2% respectively, to the energy basket he pointed out.
Modi said that these measures will help the country cut down its dependence on polluting coal and liquid fuels that currently has the majority share in the energy basket of India.
Also, the Government is targeting to increase the share of natural gas to 15% by 2030 which currently has just a 6% share in the energy basket. The government is also targeted to blend petrol with as much as 20% of ethanol by 2030 taking up from around 8% currently.
Modi pointed out that the government has an integrated approach to energy planning in the country with an all-inclusive agenda. He stated that in the last 5-6 years, the gas pipeline network in the country has doubled to around 32,000 km, in addition to that the work on Gujarat’s largest hybrid renewable energy plant has also begun.
Furthermore, the government is also focusing on the manufacturing of biofuels and electric mobility, he added.
